Anyone seen this happen before? I couldn't find any information at Google about this. I'm an affiliate, so I can't really go in and make the site secure. The site in question has an application which users can fill out with personal and financial information. I have changed a few of the ads to point to the main page at the site instead of directly to the application, we'll see if that changes anything.
I understand why having a secure site is important - but I think Google is overstepping their bounds on this one.
I doubt they do complex technical checks and try to hack into websites to verify them for an ad campaign, so I'd imagine it's something as obvious as the lack of an SSL cert for credit card information.
But I would ask them.
Keep up the good work Google.
They believe in online privacy and security and require a secure server when collecting personal information.
Just wondered if other people had seen this yet - if it was new, or had been in place.
[edited by: tys0n28 at 5:28 pm (utc) on Dec. 17, 2003]
That sounds like a reasonable requirement on Google's part. I've never heard of it before, but it's not out-of-bounds, IMHO.
Why is it again that the company you're affliated with isn't collecting data in a secure manner?
Just wondered if other people had seen this yet - if it was new, or had been in place.
tys0n28, I know that this has been a policy as long as I've been with AdWords = 18 months.
Pretty sure it has been a policy since the get-go.
AWA
tys0n28,
If they are a good site, first try using the same url with a https first. I've found that some affiliate companies have both, but they forget to tell people to initially link to them with the https instead of the http, and they aren't set up to switch to their secure server if not initially linked to in such a way.
I haven't seen them say anything before but my info collector stuff is secured.
Not even. Just the marketing people & lawyers doing their thing: "Well you see your Honor, I clicked on an ad sponsored by Google, and thought I was purchasing this here product, and I was actually buying into an overnight scam to harvest credit card numbers...Your Honor I wouldn't know an http from an https."
How much personal information will trigger this? Is a name and email address for a newsletter subscription okay without a secure server? Or is it once you get into addresses and credit card numbers that this part of the policy becomes an issue for advertisers?
financial information
I suspect that's the answer, Jenstar.
Keep up the good work Google.
Just saw your post, in which you asked:
How much personal information will trigger this? Is a name and email address for a newsletter subscription okay without a secure server? Or is it once you get into addresses and credit card numbers that this part of the policy becomes an issue for advertisers?
The scoop: If Social security and/or credit card numbers are collected, the page must be secure.
AWA
